DHA Omega-3 Oil Improves Blood Lipid Profiles

Tuesday, November 06, 2007 by: John Seim
Tags: omega-3s, health news, Natural News

(NewsTarget) Supplementing with an omega-3 fatty acid called docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) may improve blood lipid levels in men with high triglycerides, according to a new study published in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.

Researchers recruited 34 moderately hypertriglyceridemic but otherwise healthy men, ages 39 to 66, to participate in a double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled parallel study. The men randomly received either 3 grams of DHA per day or olive oil placebo, for 90 days.

Hypertriglyceridemia indicates high blood levels of triglycerides (more properly known as triacylglycerols). High triacylglycerol levels are an independent risk factor for cardiovascular disease, a leading cause of death in the United States and many European countries.

According to the study, supplementing with DHA for 45 days lowered concentrations of fasting triacylglycerol (24%), large very-low-density lipoproteins (92%), and intermediate-density lipoproteins (53%). However, DHA supplementation elevated concentrations of LDL cholesterol (12.6%) and large LDL particles (120%).

Supplementing with DHA beyond the initial 45 days did not result in any further changes. The placebo did not alter any of the criteria tested.

"DHA supplementation may improve cardiovascular health by lowering concentrations of triacylglycerols and small, dense LDL particles," concluded the researchers.

DHA is most commonly found in fresh water, oily fish.   Fish, however, do not synthesize DHA. Instead, they obtain it from microalgae in their diet. DHA isone of several types of omega-3 fatty acid.

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